Fabricio Coloccini put Newcastle into the fourth round of the Carling Cup with a last-gasp header as United beat Nottingham Forest 4-3 after extra-time at the City Ground.

The Argentine international defender was captain fantastic as he met Gabriel Obertan's cross to power home the winner, with a penalty shoot-out just seconds away.

It was the fourth time the Magpies had led in the tie, with Championship outfit Forest pegging them back on three occasions.

Peter Lovenkrands struck in either half - the second coming from the penalty spot - only for the hosts to draw level each time through Robbie Findley and Matt Derbyshire.

As the tie went into extra-time Danny Simpson's mishit cross sailed in at the far post to edge Newcastle back in front, but Marcus Tudgay tapped home from close range to equalise yet again.

It looked as though the lottery of penalties would be needed to determine who would go into the hat for round four, but Coloccini had other ideas and struck with almost the last kick of the contest.

With both sides making a raft of changes for this tie, it was of little surprise that it took a while for the contest to get going, but it was Forest who did much of the early pressing.

Mapies keeper Rob Elliot - making his debut - had to be alert in the ninth minute to clear the danger following an underhit James Perch back pass, before Robbie Findley glanced a header across the face of goal after connecting with a corner.

It was from a dangerous free-kick to the hosts from which Newcastle fashioned their first chance. As Lewis McGugan's delivery was cleared to safety, United broke at pace and Danny Guthrie set Marveaux clear with a superb outside-of-the-boot pass.

The French winger took it in his stride and was just about to pull the trigger from around eight yards when an outstanding last-ditch challenge from Brendan Moloney put the ball behind for a corner.

It took until 27 minutes for the next clear cut opportunity, which went Forest's way, but Tudgay could only backheel wide at the near post after Moloney had galloped down the right flank to put in a low cross.

The half looked to be drawing to a conclusion with the sides level, until a real moment of quality six minutes before the break put Newcastle ahead. Hatem Ben Arfa found Sylvain Marveaux out wide on the left, and the summer signing's cross was inch-perfect for Lovenkrands to peel off his marker and head past Lee Camp from six yards.

Newcastle would have come out for the second half hoping to build on their lead, but they suffered the worst possible start as the hosts equalised within 50 seconds of the restart.

A long punt forward from keeper Camp was misjudged by James Perch and the loose ball fell kindly to Findley, who rifled a low shot past the despairing dive of Elliot.

The Magpies tried to hit back and Lovenkrands was presented with a great chance to double his - and the team's - tally in the 53rd minute, but he shot tamely at Camp after a mazy run from Ben Arfa ripped the Forest defence apart.

Marveaux then fired over from distance before, at the other end, Elliot was forced into action to save a McGugan effort from a similar range.

But Newcastle regained the lead on the hour mark through that man Lovenkrands again, as he made up for his earlier miss. This one came from the penalty after Marveaux was brought down inside the box by Moloney.

The former Rennes winger was found wide on the left by a quick free-kick and an excellent first touch took him past Moloney and into the box, where the full-back could only bundle him to the floor.

Lovenkrands stepped up and fired the resulting spot kick to Camp's right, and although the keeper got a hand to it he was unable to prevent the shot finding the back of the net in front of more than 2,000 Geordies.

The lead lasted just seven minutes, however, as Forest levelled within seven minutes. Matt Derbyshire broke clear of the visitors' rearguard to race on to a through ball, and he rounded Elliot before slipping the ball into the unguarded net.

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew responded by introducing both of the Ameobi brothers - Shola and Sammy - for Dan Gosling and Ben Arfa, in an attempt to give his side further attacking impetus, and Sammy immediately saw a strike blocked on the edge of the Forest box.

With the game entering the final stages of normal time the teenage forward connected with a Shane Ferguson cross, but was unable to get enough power on his header to test Camp. And fellow substitute Gabriel Obertan miscued a volley as the visitors spurned another chance to avoid extra-time.

United were determined to avoid the lottery of a penalty shoot-out and made their intentions clear three minutes into extra-time, although with a big slice of luck. A neat move involving Danny Guthrie and Obertan ended with right-back Danny Simpson's deep cross somehow finding a way over Camp and into the far corner.

Forest hit back and centre-back Wes Morgan thumped a header against the woodwork from substitute Andy Reid's delivery, but that was the final chance of the first period.

After the break Forest piled pressure on the Newcastle goal, but Shola Ameobi almost put the result beyond any doubt at the other end, with only a deflection sending his left-footed shot off target in the 112th minute.

And the hosts made them pay, levelling for the third time in the match on 115 minutes. A slip from Simpson set Ishmael Miller free down the right, and the front man drove into the box. His initial cross was blocked by Perch, but the ball fell kindly for Miller to put it right across the face of goal and prevent Tudgay with an easy tap-in from a couple of yards.

Tudgay almost won it at the death with a clever volley, having teed the ball up for himself, but it was Newcastle who took that honour through their inspirational skipper. Forest failed to clear a late corner and as the ball finally got delivered back in by Obertan from the left, Coloccini powered a header past Camp to send the visiting fans into raptures and the Magpies into round four.